Starhotels is to build over 150 serviced apartments in Florence's former municipal theatre. 

Taking three of the seven buildings of Florence’s former municipal theatre, known among other things because for hosting the Maggio Fiorentino festival for many years, the apartments will be managed by Starhotels. The hotel group has signed a management agreement with Hines and Blue Noble, the two international investors who acquired the complex in March 2020 from Cdp Investimenti, a subsidiary of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, for some €27 million.

Apartments, retail and office space

The new apartments are expected to be ready in 2024 and will be called the Teatro Luxury Apartments - Starhotels Collezione. The overall project involves the construction of some 230 apartments including studios and one and two-bedroom properties, some of which will be for sale, as well as retail and office spaces. 

Co-working and catering facilities also for the public

The complex will also feature more than 170 reserved parking spaces, a conciergerie, a terrace with a solarium, a gym and wellness centre, as well as facilities for children, co-working and catering, with services open to the public. The project area covers an area of approximately 15,300 square metres.

Cortina is to get a new Tribune managed by Ppn Hospitality. Following its debut in Rome last year, news is now coming in of a new opening of the Marriott Tribune brand in Cortina (while a third is in the pipeline in Milan, through the rebranding of the Four Points by Sheraton Milan Center, Ed). 

Ready in time for the 2026 Winter Olympics

The Italian white label company Ppn Hospitality is in charge of operations, as well as the relaunch and restyling of the Dolomiti Hotel. The refurbishmente will have the technical and design guidance of the Gris and Dainese studio, bringing Cortina d’Ampezzo’s historic hotel online in time for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Designed by architect Edoardo Gellner for the 1956 Olympics, the hotel will be renamed the Cortina and will have 75 rooms, a spa, a gourmet restaurant and a rooftop with Dolomite views. On an area of over 6,600 square metres, it is scheduled to open in December 2024

“An ideal setting for upmarket tourism” 

"We are happy to be able to lead the new course of one of the most historic and important hotels in Cortina d'Ampezzo," comments the CEO of Ppn Hospitality, Filippo Cavandoli. "We are ready to take on this challenge with the certainty that the new hotel will be an ideal setting for upmarket tourism, also on the occasion of the Olympics that will be held in Cortina in 2026.”

Parma and its food valley is a top choice for all seasons. The city of Parma and its surrounding area offer a kaleidoscope of possibilities and experiences for anyone seeking an alternative to the classic and, perhaps for some, jaded choice between the sea and the mountains.

From the heart of the Food Valley to a treasure trove of artistic wonders an an inexhaustible reservoir of natural and historic itineraries, this area has so much to offer that is different.

Trame d’Italia’s itineraries

Don’t have the time or the inclination to explore independently? Then you can rely on the Trame d'Italia online platform for direct contact with the places, traditions and lesser-known and inaccessible aspects of some of Italy's most fascinating destinations. From nights in a yurt in the Apennines, to discovering the magic of Salsomaggiore Terme or walking along the Via Francigena in the footsteps of ancient pilgrims. You can find them all on www.trameditalia.it

Visit Emilia to plan stays and holidays

Another virtuous container of the area's activities and beauty is Visit Emilia, the tourist promotion agency for the Parma, Piacenza and Reggio Emilia areas that presents the varied uniqueness of a vast area where food, nature and culture meet. Through the site you can plan themed stays and holidays, select a network from Spas & Outdoors, Food & Wine and Culture & Castles, or choose according to the province of your choice and your preferences. (www.visitemilia.com)

Culatello cured Parma ham

Speaking of food and wine at the Antica Corte Pallavicina in Polesine Parmense, Luciano and Massimo Spigaroli have turned an ancient 14th century castle on the floodplain of the river Po into the realm of gastrofluvial cuisine. Prominent on the menu is Culatello, the sweetest and most expensive cut of cured Parma, ham which here also boasts a museum and the world's oldest operating maturing cellars. (www.anticacortepallavicinarelais.it).

Salsomaggiore for castles and concerts

Visit Salsomaggiore (www.visitsalsomaggiore.it) and you will find many opportunities for activities in an area traditionally associated with spas and wellness. On the hills of Salsomaggiore you can visit the Castles of Tabiano, Contignaco and Scipione dei Marchesi Pallavicino, and the Pinko Arena has concerts and shows with famous Italian and international artists scheduled up to September.

Turismo Val Taro - Albareto - Credit Nemesia Studio

Sensory experiences with horses 

The Upper Valtaro Valley is one of the province's best-kept naturalistic jewels, with hundreds of mountain trails that stretch to the regional limits and are ideal for mountain bikers, while Elena Galli's Fili d'Erba Farm at the WWF Ghirardi Oasis in Borgotaro is popular for its programme of sensory experiences with horses. (www.turismovaltaro.it).

Showcasing the lush, wine-growing Valpantena valley, close to Verona in Italy’s Veneto region, the newly formed Rete Valpantena network is spearheading strategies to market the pre-alpine valley as an unspoiled tourist attraction for visitors seeking authentic experiences in Italy. 

Using food and wine to boost tourism

The group, formed of seven visionary entrepreneurs from local wineries, farmsteads and hotels - Agricola Pernigo, Angelini Wines & Estates, Costa Arente, La Collina dei Ciliegi and Ca' del Moro Wine Retreat, Ripa della Volta and La Cru Restaurant with Villa Balis Crema - has put together plans to put the valley on the tourist map. The declared objective is to use food and wines together with the valley’s natural beauty to attract Italian and international travellers. 

Relais Villa Balis Crema

“We will create a digital platform and work with tour operators”

"The Valpantena is a kaleidoscope of landscapes, culture, food, wine, and accommodation. Our area is underestimated and on the fringe of what Verona has to offer visitors," explains Ettore Nicoletto, the CEO of Angelini Wines & Estates who helms Rete Valpantena. The first steps, he adds, include creating a digital platform to spotlight the area’s appeal, and opening a tourist information office.  "To promote this little-known area we will work with tour operators, and we are identifying new tailor-made leisure activities. Alongside our great wines, gastronomic prestige and nature, we need to develop the Valpantena’s historical and cultural attractions.

ph credits: Francesco De Marco
Upscale accommodation and a Michelin restaurant

The valley is a paradise for nature lovers, cyclists, equestrians and walkers, and two of its top draws are the Relais Villa Balis Crema, with the Michelin-starred La Cru restaurant, and the Ca’ del Moro Wine Retreat which is part of the La Collina dei Ciliegi winery. The Villa Balis Crema, an ancient Medici mansion, has 17 contemporary suites, a biological swimming pool, a stunning officinalis herb garden and Chef Giacomo Sacchetto’s magical Michelin flair.  The Ca’ del Moro has six suites in a former old hamlet, a luxury glamping tent (with more on the way) fine dining, and tours and weekends for wine lovers featuring the region’s famous Valpolicella and, top of the crop, the Amarone which is one of Italy’s trifecta of superb wines.   

Ca’ del Moro Wine Retreat  

The Motorcycle Custom Show returns to Rome 3-4 September. A unique opportunity for fans of two and four wheels to experience bike shows, demo rides of 2021 models, vintage collections and much more. This 6th edition will take over the Palazzo dei Congressi in Rome’s EUR district, on the first weekend of September.

Leading customizers and manufacturers 

Featuring “custom” personalization, the show will give visibility to the world of artisans and artists who invent, create and implement new trends and styles. Following the 90 professional customizers who exhibited last year from all over Italy, the 2022 edition will feature an even greater number of talents.  Also present will be many of the major motorcycle manufacturers with their new ranges, and there will be opportunities to test new models on the road. 

Vintage scooters and accessories 

Also of the highest level will be the exhibition of spectacular restored and customized American vintage cars and the participation of leading Italian four-wheeled custom creators. The novelty of the new edition will be the Kickstart Classic Scooter Contest, an event within the event dedicated to vintage scooters and aimed at the many fans of Vespas and Lambrettas. The lineup will also include producers and distributors of accessories, designers of unique clothing and outlets for gastronomy, drink & food, barbers, make-up and body paint.

Hollywood star Jason Momoa

Harley-Davidson, Indian, BMW, MV Agusta, Ducati, KTM, Triumph and Royal Enfield are among the brands confirmed to date, together with the main aftermarket companies and national customizers. Custom Japan will also be present with art, handicrafts and photographic exhibitions, the show will have the collaboration of the Rumblers and Puerto Rican V8 clubs, and Hollywood star Jason Momoa, who recently filmed Fast and Furios 10 on a Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 transformed into a streetfighter, has declared his intention of participating. 

More info: www.eternalcitycustomshow.com

The former PCI headquarters in Rome’s central Via Botteghe Oscure is to become a five-star hotel. The entrance hall of the building that housed the Italian Communist Party for many years, designed by Giò Pomodoro, and with the five-pointed gold star embedded in the floor, will remain as it is. As will the bust of PCI founder Antonio Gramsci set into the marble wall, and the flag of the Paris Commune on display. 

A 70-room hotel with a terrace

The historic building in Via delle Botteghe Oscure, which is next to the Largo Argentina archaeological site, is soon to become a 70-room five-star hotel with a terrace and restaurant. The announcement came from Giampaolo Angelucci, president of the Tosinvest financial company, owner of the property, who said he had signed a lease agreement with the Rossfin Group and the Ag Group hotel company. 

Which international luxury brand? 

The lessee has committed to the redevelopment of the approximately 8,000-square-metre building, respecting the architectural canons of the façade, as well as maintaining some of its historical elements. The hotel will be managed by the Ag Group, which will act as a white label company for an international luxury brand, whose identity has yet to be revealed.

“A building of historical and artistic relevance” 

"This operation is certainly one of the most significant in the first half of the year, both for the historical, artistic and cultural relevance of the building, and for the importance of the prestigious brand that will manage the hotel, and that has chosen Italy and Rome to strengthen its presence in Europe," commented Vincenzo Zubbo, head of business development at Colliers Italia, advisors for the leasing operation. 

Rome attracted €600 million hotel investments in 2019

Moreover, it confirms the new vocation of this area of the Eternal City which is attracting more and more hotel investments, in a context of strong recovery. In fact, after the record of some €600 million in 2019, 2021 has already touched the €400 million mark, showing Rome's great appeal for the hotel and hospitality sector.

Changes are on the horizon for the Benetton assets with a good part of the real estate in the family holding Edizione possibly changing hands.

The transaction, should it go through, would be the most substantial real estate deal of the year, revealed the daily Il Sole 24 Ore, according to which there are currently three unsolicited offers on the negotiating table, handled on behalf of the seller by Citi. 

A €1 billion-€1.5 billion investment 

€1 billion and €1.5 billion These are said to have come from the US giant Hines, Manfredi Catelli’s Coima and Apollo Global Management, which recently invested €842 million in Italy to acquire a maxi-package of ex-Enpam real estate, which was then resold for a third to Coima itself. The figures put on the plate would be between €1 billion and €1.5 billion from Hines and Apollo, while Coima would propose a merger agreement with Edizione Property.

The Benetton sales outlets would not be involved

The operation is part of Edizione's reorganisation launched with the arrival at the helm of Alessandro Benetton and concerns a large part of a total real estate portfolio worth an estimated €2 billion spread over 13 different countries. The Benetton sales outlets (approximately 50%-60% of the entire portfolio) would not be involved in the negotiations. 

The first Bulgari Hotel is scheduled for Rome

However among the assets would be prestigious properties such as the Roman palace in Piazza Augusto Imperatore, where the first Bulgari Capitoline is scheduled to open, as well as the Monaco and Grand Canal hotels in Venice. The sale would not be the only possible solution under consideration, as there would also be the division of the assets in equal parts to each of the four family branches belonging to Giuliana, Carlo, Gilberto and Luciano.

To embrace Forlì-Cesena and its history, art, nature and good food in Italy’s Romagna region, you turn your back on the sea and the white beaches of the Riviera Romagnola.  

And you discover, old cities, ancient castles, fortresses and architectural gems of incalculable historical significance, and an Apennine setting with gentle hills, thermal waters and ancient pilgrim routes.   

San Domenico Museum - Ph credits Luca Massari

Forlì is best explored on foot or by bike

Like all towns in Romagna, Forlì - the Forum Livii of the Romans - is best explored on foot or by bicycle. Not far from the central Piazza Aurelio Saffi, with the Town Hall, the Abbey of San Mercuriale and the 15th-century bell tower, the San Domenico Museums hosts exhibitions, concerts and conferences. Running up to 10 July is an exhibition not to be missed: Magdalene. The Mystery and the Image, with 200 paintings of great historical and iconographic significance.  

Sleep and dine in an ancient Renaissance city 

In the Middle Ages the area of Tuscan Romagna was geographically and linguistically part of Romagna and subject to Florentine rule. Its jewels include the spa town of Castrocaro Terme and Terra del Sole, which today are a single municipality.  Terra del Sole is an 'ideal city' built by Cosimo De' Medici in the 1400s. It is a rare example of a fortified Renaissance city and its original walls, as massive today as when they were built, are 13 metres high and two kilometres long. On top of the ramparts the Castello del Capitano delle Artigliere (www.castellocapitano.com) is a private home that welcomes guests in its splendid rooms (with Jacuzzis and even a grand piano) while in the Osteria del Castello (https://osteria-del-castello.business.site) you can dine, lulled by history, under the towering castle walls.  

Rocca di Ravaldino - Forlì

Curative thermal waters and a Memory of the World

The massive Rocca di Castrocaro fortress boasts views all the way to the Adriatic Sea, and for those who prefer a less onerous climb up to it, there are electric bicycles and the company of cycling guide Luigi Barillari (www.biketo.it). Equally fascinating is the Art Deco-style Grand Hotel in Castrocaro’s Spa Park. Famous for its annual song festival, it has thermal pools and health and beauty-farm facilities. In the historical centre of Cesena, which is less than twenty kilometres from the Adriatic coast, must-sees are the elegant façade of Palazzo del Ridotto, the handsome Piazza del Popolo and the extraordinary Malatesta Library. This has survived unscathed and untouched, exactly as it was five centuries ago, and in 2005 was listed as a UNESCO Memory of the World.   

   

Garda Trentino’s wellness practices in the Comano Valley which is in the area of Garda Trentino between Lake Garda and the Brenta Dolomites, are a centuries-old spa tradition, and the natural wellbeing the area offers includes much more.

This is an area where flora and fauna thrive freely, to the point of being recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the mountains are magnificent, the woods luxuriant, and the aromas authentic.

Breathwalking and Barefooting

Each season offers unique experiences and there is the added advantage of Mind and body, in harmony, one of the Garda Trentino Experiences available through the summer up to 30 September. But at any time of year you can choose to walk barefoot along the Sensory Path of the Terme di Comano Park or breathe following the slow rhythm of nature thanks to breathwalking. And you can also practice forest bathing, barefooting (walking barefoot on paths) and conscious breathing, every week up to September. 

Comano Thermal Park sensory path

Along the Parco delle Terme Sensory Path the natural materials and sensations change continuously. The path between the trees consists of eleven sensory stations and is for barefoot walkers who can have the company of spa operators, and access is free. Breathwalking is a revitalizing practice that combines yoga, qi-gong and chi-walking exercises, and means walking in a new, conscious way and in full harmony with one's breath and nature. Immersed in the woods of the Comano area there are numerous benefits, as it increases energy levels, facilitates mood control, brings clarity to the mind and helps to establish a deep bond with the environment.



For more info: www.gardatrentino.it